Kardinal Offishall Faults Canada’s Music Industry For Favoring White Pop Artists

Kardinal Offishall said Canada has built more music industry support for white pop artists than Black artists, pointing to a gap he still sees after three decades in the business.

Speaking on The Brandon Gonez Show, he said there was “much more of an infrastructure for pop artists in Canada and white pop artists in Canada than there are for Black artists in Canada.”

He told Gonez that the music business had left him discouraged about releasing records for a long time. An unpredictable music landscape and the industry’s darker side had worn him down.

Before his first record deal, Kardinal couldn’t always afford Toronto’s public transit. Other emerging artists helped him get by, pooling their money and personal connections.

He credited that community with helping him move forward, recalling how much artists had relied on one another when they lacked resources.

His career has since placed him on both sides of the business, as a recording artist and an executive involved in developing talent. He serves as Def Jam’s global A&R lead after previously working at Universal Music Canada. A&R departments are responsible for finding new artists and helping develop their recordings.

At Universal, he became the first Black senior vice president of A&R at a major Canadian label. He also established the Black Label Coalition, which raised money for charities during his tenure.

His work on access extends beyond a single label. Kardinal is a founding member of ADVANCE, Canada’s Black Music Business Collective, an organization supporting Black professionals across the country’s music industry.

ADVANCE’s work includes mentoring, advocacy and opportunities for people working throughout the business. That includes careers beyond performing, making its focus broader than helping an individual artist land a record deal.

As a performer, Kardinal’s 2001 album Quest for Fire: Firestarter, Vol. 1 helped introduce his Caribbean-influenced Toronto sound through records including “BaKardi Slang” and “Ol’ Time Killin’.”

For his latest record, he took an independent route. Firestarter Vol. 2: Everyday, Sometimes… is his first album since 2015’s Kardi Gras, Vol. 1: The Clash.

The new project brought together collaborators including Idris Elba, Buju Banton, Konshens, T-Pain and Melanie Fiona.